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Paula Chin, a 65-year-old Tribeca resident and mother of two children, was murdered by her son, Jared Eng, in January 2019 in a crime that included a deliberate cover-up and a months-long probe. Eng, who was 22 at the time, stabbed his mother in their apartment they shared, recruited two accomplices to get rid of her body, and tried to access her financial accounts.
The case came to a close in October 2022 when Eng was sentenced to 22 years to life imprisonment. Her case will be featured on New York Homicide season 3 episode 13, titled Trouble in Tribeca, on April 26, 2025, on Oxygen.
Paula Chin's murder: A timeline breakdown of the events
January 30, 2019: The final argument
Jared Eng and his mother, Paula Chin, were said to have fought about her finances and her health. According to a New York Post report, Eng subsequently alleged that he had prompted Chin to get medical attention for arthritis and signs of early Alzheimer's.
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As per ABC7, investigators determined that inheritance was the motive, with Eng wanting control of $11 million.
January 31, 2019: The murder and early cover-up
As per the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, at around midnight, Eng assaulted Paula Chin in their Tribeca apartment at 17 Vestry Street. He beat her and stabbed her several times in the neck, as per the same source. Chin succumbed to blunt force trauma to the head and sharp force injuries.
Following the homicide, Eng sanitized the apartment and called his girlfriends, Caitlyn O'Rourke and Jennifer Lopez, to assist him. Surveillance video recorded Lopez parking Chin's Toyota Land Cruiser against the curb at 12:50 am, and at 2:31 am, someone put a "duffle bag-like container" in the trunk.
January 31–February 1, 2019: Transporting the body
As per ABC7, Eng, O'Rourke, and Lopez visited Paula Chin's New Jersey home in Morristown twice. The first was between 2:52 am and 4:26 am on January 31, and the second was between 1:37 pm and 4:48 pm on February 1.
They left Chin's body in a trash can on the premises and cleaned blood-stained garments in the washing machine at the home.
February 4, 2019: Missing person report
As per the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Paula Chin's older son, Brandon Eng, filed a missing person's report with the NYPD's 1st Precinct. Jared Eng subsequently alleged he helped with the search, but detectives found discrepancies in his story.
February 5–6, 2019: Discovery and arrests
As per ABC7, on February 5, Paula Chin was discovered in the Morristown trash dumpster. Bloodstains, duct tape, and rubber gloves consistent with those found in her car were discovered. Her Toyota trunk had blood-soaked clothing, as well as a blanket. On February 6, Jared Eng, O'Rourke, and Lopez were apprehended. Eng protested, saying to reporters:
"I did not. I loved her. She gave me everything".
February 7, 2019: Charges and first court appearances
As per ABC7, Eng was charged with hiding a corpse, while O'Rourke and Lopez were charged with additional counts of tampering with evidence. Eng was denied bail; Lopez's was set at $100,000, and O'Rourke's at $50,000.
2019–2022: Investigation and Legal Proceedings
As per the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, forensic analysis linked bloodstains in both residences to Paula Chin. Digital evidence revealed Eng’s Google searches for “diy bone meal” and inheritance lawyers, along with texts stating, “It’s done” and “I’m free”. As per ABC7, O’Rourke admitted to police that Eng confessed to the murder, stating it “took her a while to die”.
September 16, 2022: Guilty plea
As per the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Eng pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the New York State Supreme Court. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg characterized the crime as "brutal and shocking," citing Eng's confession to murdering his mother for money.
October 26, 2022: Sentencing
Eng was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison, as reported by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. O'Rourke and Lopez, who were charged with concealment, were let out under bail reform laws and had their cases left pending.
Paula Chin's killing took three days of bloodshed, cover-up, and interstate shipment of her body. The investigation used forensic evidence, video surveillance, and computer records to lead to Eng's guilty plea and sentencing.
